Umbrous - Empire's Shadow

Part 1 - Awakening of Shadow


Chapter 6

Kaan was feeling tired after the meeting with the mayor and encounter with Casto. He didn't much feel like practicing with even the training lightsabers or doing his university work, and instead sat on the ground looking at a bunch of recordings on the shelf.

Suddenly, an inexplicable urge arose within him, and he grabbed a seemingly random recording from a shelf and clicked it open. Some of these recordings were old, dating back to the founding of the Republic, which was what had sparked his interest in Galactic history from a young age. This one seemed to be around two centuries old, and as Kaan dimmed the lights, a small, fuzzy image focused into the shape of a green Jedi.

It took a little while for Kaan to recognize who it was, but it was obvious from the short stature, tapered ears, three-fingered hands and long, braided brown hair that this was a younger Jedi Master Yaddle, who was probably most famous for being of the same species as Jedi Grand Master Yoda. She was dressed in plain Jedi robes, with a belt around her midsection, and poking out from beneath her cloak, Kaan could see the tip of a small lightsaber clipped to her belt. She was speaking:

"Greetings, Jedi learner. I am Jedi Master Yaddle. I have an important lesson to teach today. Much of a Jedi's life is dictated by the Force, as it is our greatest source of knowledge. Of our vast Jedi knowledge, truly little is stored in recordings, as they could be catastrophically dangerous in the wrong hands. That is why most of our knowledge is stored in our holocrons."

As Kaan watched, his eyes grew wider as from the folds of Master Yaddle's robes, a Jedi holocron cube floated out and hovered in front of her. This was it! He had for the past five years tried and failed to open countless holocron cubes, only ever managing to make one rattle about on the ground. This was the key to unlocking more mysteries of the Force, he thought.

He had long since read and watched all of the philosophical lectures about the nature of the Force, and if he closed his eyes, he could hear the voice of Master Yoda warning him about the path to the dark side. He knew that it was because of the Force that he could feel an instinct which told him the right words to say to people, or instinctively know how make them think that what they wanted just so happened to line up with what he wanted.

But most practical knowledge of how to manipulate the Force was hidden behind the holocrons of the Jedi, making it inaccessible to Kaan. And yet, he had felt such a strong urge to open this particular recording… Yaddle continued, interrupting his thoughts

"The holocrons are carefully hidden away, and it is the role of the Chief Librarian to determine access to our knowledge. At the time of this recording, Master Restelly Quist holds this position. Request knowledge if you wish, but do not be disheartened if she denies you, for it means only that she sees you to be unprepared, and there is more training for you to do. But once you have access to your first holocron, then you must learn to open it. Place your holocron in front of you and feel it within the Force. All objects have a presence, or lack thereof, in the Force, but a holocron's memory crystal is imbued with the Force. You will feel it like a pulsing glow, and to open the holocron, increase that glow to a full light."

As she said this, the holocron cube floating before her opened, with its corners twisting and flying out as if in a slowed-down explosion. In the middle was a smaller, glowing cube, and on top of it flickered a list of names. Kaan looked in awe as on it he saw some names he recognised, such as Tera Sinube, and Oppo Rancisis, and realised this was a list of Force-sensitive infants from the time.

"This particular holocron cube is one of the most important of our Order. For within it, are the names of Force-sensitive children in the galaxy. If ever the Jedi Order falls, this will be the key to rebuilding our Order. So important is this cube, that it is stored at the highest level of security, far from the reach of most Jedi, and to gain access to it even Master Yoda must ask permission. It will take practice to open holocron cubes, but with time it will be easy."

She demonstrated this by first waving her hand over the floating cube to open and close it, and later just closing her eyes and concentrating on it, and Kaan watched it open and close while hovering at Yaddle's eye level, excitement wiping the tiredness from his veins.

"Now you must understand this. The knowledge inside a holocron can be dangerous, and idiosyncratic to its maker. If you see a pyramid-shaped holocron cube, then know that it is of the ancient Sith. Gone though they may be from the Galaxy, the dark side is always a present threat, and in these holocrons lies the dark side of the Force, ready to claim those foolish enough to believe they can control it. But with the guiding wisdom of the Jedi Council and of your Master, my heart is filled with the assurance that you, learner, will not be bound to this evil fate."

And with that, the recording faded. Kaan buzzed with excitement but was also wary of the Jedi Master's warning about the dark side. While he did not fear it as much as the Jedi had appeared to, he had acquired a healthy respect for its corrupting potential when he had first seen an Inquisitor…


Next few chapters are flashback chapters, as we look at the Inquisitors